The correct hold on a golf grip is not natural or intuitive. Rather, considerable time is taken for a golfer to learn the correct hold on a golf grip and to repeatedly grip the golf club correctly prior to swinging the golf club. The correct hold is an important foundation of a correct golf swing and the sooner that it would become comfortable and instinctive, the sooner that it would become a permanent asset rather than a recurring problem to overcome for the golfer.
The prior art is replete with a multitude of patents directed to teaching a correct golf grip. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,163,685, entitled Sports Grip Training Device, was issued to the inventor of the present invention and is incorporated by reference. This patent describes a sports grip training device having application for a number of sports implements including a golf club. This device included an abutment member which is adapted to be secured, for example, to the end of a golf club shaft. In use, the little finger and back edge of a golfer's upper hand is engaged with the abutment member allowing the golfer's hand to be set at the proper angular orientation on the golf club. While the '685 patent does assist the golfer in endeavoring to formulate the proper grip, since there are no markings on the shaft adjacent to the golfer's hands when the golf club is gripped, it is sometimes difficult to properly orient the golfer's hands when the golfer engages the handle portion of the golf club shaft.
A number of patents are directed to placing various indicia near the top end of a standard golf club shaft. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,376, issued to Cummings et al, describes a golf grip having various indicia applied to the exterior surface of the top shaft of a golf club. The primary indicia marking, preferably is green, includes a first indicia marking 36 showing the proper placement of one of the golfer's thumbs, a second indicia 38 showing the proper placement of the second thumb, and a third indicia 40 showing the proper placement of the golfer's fingers. However, without the utilization of the abutment described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,163,685, it is difficult to properly orient the golfer's hands. Additionally, it is noted that the indicia is applied to the shaft of a standard golf club.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,348,303, issued to Swissheim, details a golf club grip provided with a first marker 14 in the shape of a diamond defining the position of one thumb of the golfer's hand, as well as a second marker 15 also in the shape of a diamond defining the position between the thumb and forefinger of the golfer's second hand.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,091,512, issued to Marsh, discusses a grip for a golf club including an imprint 4 conforming to the position of the thumb of the right hand of a golfer and an imprint 5 conforming to the thumb of the left hand of the golfer.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 6,656,054, issued to Ulrich, shows a golf grip having a hand placement guide comprising a sinuous surface pattern 20 extending from the upper portion 24 of the grip 10 to a lower portion 26.
However, the aforementioned Swissheim, Marsh and Ulrich patents are employed on a standard golf club and do not utilize the abutment described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,163,685.